Unsung Heroine
by Dark Priestess66
Summary: Lupa is Balto's sister, what if she was there during his whole trip to save the children of Nome, Alaska.
1. Chapter 1

DarkPriestess66: I don't own Balto.

This story starts in central park, where a grandmother and her young granddaughter were walking along with the husky pup on a leash looking for something.

"It was here. . .someplace."

"But we've already been past here!"

"The trees. . .have grown so big. It's been so long since my last visit." They go down another path.

"Come, Blaze. Grandma, when was the last time you were here?"

"Years and years ago, way before you were born, sweetheart."

"Oh look, Blaze's found a squirrel!"

"Now, just a minute. I'm trying to get my bearings. Oh. . .there are so many paths here. It's so easy to get turned around. Come on, darling."

"Grandma, we're in the middle of nowhere!"

"We're right in the middle of New York City!"

"But you're gonna make yourself tired walking so long."

"Nonsense, it hasn't been more than a quarter of an hour." the Granddaughter stops, and passes her hat to her Grandma "Not much further."

"Blaze is getting tired."

"Oh, I see." the old woman looks at the hat, as if remembering something.

"Grandma, what are we looking for, anyway?"

"A memorial"

"A ma-what?"

"A reminder of a wonderful story. And a place very far away from here."

"What place is that, Grandma?"

"Nome, Alaska. It's a small town almost on top of the world. Now that really was in the middle of nowhere, sweetheart. In the cold winter of 1925, it was snowing hard. Back then the fastest and most reliable way of getting around was with teams of dogs pulling long sleds. Races were held every year. . . to find out the best team. And the competition was very fierce. . ."

"Is what those humans talking about true, grandma?" A young pup asks

"Yes, but most forget that our hero wasn't alone." an older wolf-dog replies.

"Tell me the story." the young pup states, nuzzling the older one.

* * *

I wish my brother had never woken me up just to watch a stupid race, I stretched out my muscles and my tail swished.

We headed into town, going from roof top to fences. Seeing the sled dogs and the bane of our lives Steele. I wanted to bite his tail off.

We saw the three mile marker go off.

"Balto! Get your slobbering mouth off me!" my adoptive father Boris states, he's a goose but what could I do when he didn't have to raise us as his own.

I snickered. "it would help if you would just fly,"

"Come on, let's go! We can cut around the back and catch the end of the race." Balto states

"Alright, alright." I sigh.

"No, no, no! I'm. . .a delicate, country bird. I hate going into town!" Boris states, as Balto and I trotted off.

"What's the worst that could happen?" I ask

"Hoy!" Boris

Balto and I ran through town to get to the finish line to see who would win. While Boris was still pleading with us to go back home.

Boris slid down the snowy roof and straight onto a mounted moose head. Where the butcher grabbed him and was about to decapitated him when Balto pulls him out.

"Bring that back, you thief!" the butcher shouted

Balto still had Boris in his mouth,

"You are putting me down now? Mr. Golden Retriever?" Boris asks

Balto sets Boris down, "Whatever you say, Boris."

"Every time there's a race, you two run around like you're in it!" Boris exclaims

"One day I. . .will be." Balto replies taking a wooden board over to another roof top.

"Same with me," I agree, "I want Steele to eat my snow."

we started to leave again.

"Heel, boy! Heel girl! Boris Goosenov is no spring chicken!" Boris states then falls into the snow "Heyyyy! I'm no spring penguin either! It's cold!" he shivers.

We ran through an empty house, and out the back door. As the two mile mark went off.

"Come on, we don't want to miss the finish." Balto states

"Whoa, that would be a tragedy." Boris states, then falls in snow when Balto brushes past him. "I was being sarcastic."

We finally made to the line and had to squeeze pass the humans.

I spotted one of the local girl dogs, a red and white husky named Jenna. I looked at my brother, "Balto, she isn't the sled dog team." I lost him.

I watched as Jenna's human girl cheered for Steele when the wind picked up and blew her hat away and landed right in the middle of the race track.

"what are you..." I began to ask as Balto jump into the race "doing"

Balto ran and got the hat. I trotted out and went over to him.

"You're crazy." I state, as he and I went over to Jenna to give back the hat

"Balto! What a crazy thing to do! Just to show off for a pretty girl." Rosy states, she eyes Jenna and grins. Balto and Jenna look at each other "I'm sure Jenna would love to have you on our team!"

The girl's father came over to us and started kicking snow in our direction warning his daughter about how dangerous we could be. That we might bite her because we're part wolf.

We slowly walked away, ashamed of being part wolf. I let out a soft whine. We heard Steele flirting with Jenna.

"Ohhhh. . .well maybe your taste runs more toward. . .wolf." Steele states, as Jenna refused him.

my fur bristled as he said that.

"Just leave it alone." Balto states glumly,

"Brother, you're twice the dog that creep will ever be." I reply,

later we were walking down the alley when Balto heard Jenna's name. I heaved a sigh, and watched as my brother made a fool of himself.

After that meeting, we continued on our way out of town.

"Balto, there are some things I can't do for you. I'm goose. . .not Cupid." Boris states,

"Didn't make the team, Bingo?" Steele's voice ask from behind us, "What about you, cupa?"

"Don't listen to him. . .don't look at him. Live a long life." Boris warns

Balto turns around "My name's Balto."

"Lupa." I growled out as I joined Balto.

"But you can call them... idiot." Boris states

"I'm sorry. . .Balto, Lupa. Balto, Lupa the half-breeds." Steel's gang joins him, laughing. "Frail Goose! You a half-breed too, huh?"

"Oh no!" Boris exclaims

"Part... turkey?" Steele as he knocks Boris into a roasting pan.

Balto rushes over and puts himself in between Boris and Steele. "Steele! Just leave him out of this!"

Steele walks away slapping Balto with his tail. "I've got a message for your mother. Awooooo!"

Steele's flunkies join in.

Balto and I started to growl and move toward them. Boris grabbed us by our tails to try and stop us from starting a fight.

"Whoa. . .uh oh!" Kaltag states finally noticing.

"Get them." Steele orders and the three other sled dogs start barking at us "Get out of here, wolf dogs. You'd better get back to your pack." Spit lands on Balto's face. He gets more angry.

Boris intervenes. "Maybe it's the unrelenting fear talking, but I'm seeing wisdom in this advice. Maybe we go now, huh? NOW!" he pushes us away. The dogs kick snow at us, and a rock hits Balto. He crashes against some trash cans and runs off.

Once we were out of town,

"I wish Steele would get fixed." I state, 'or fall of a cliff.'

we were almost home when I could smell something. Balto and I turned just in time to see a pack of wolves. They howl at us. But we just turn ashamed heading for home.

"Not a dog. . .not a wolf. All they knows is what they're not. If only they could see what they are. Oy." Boris states to himself.


	2. Chapter 2

I watched Boris as he tried to cheer us up. Before he finally gave up. I curled up with my own purloined blanket. It wasn't our fault we were born as half-breeds.

Looking up at the sky, I saw a flock of geese flying south. Balto look up then look at Boris.

"Homesick, Boris? You ever think of going back?" Balto asks,

Boris was laying next to Balto

"Don't fret, Fido. I'm sticking here until I'm sure you two can stand on all four feet, hmmm?" Boris replies, as he stood up and began to mop the deck. Which was stupid because the water would just freeze at night.

Balto and I glanced at each other, "You're...taking care of us?"

"Don't thank me." Boris replies, as he continued to mop.

I looked up as I could smell fish. I stood up and walked over to Boris and Balto followed me. We grinned.

"I smell. . .herring!" Balto states,

"The herring are flying south, too." Boris replies

I smiled "Hey! must be Muk and Luk!"

"Oh hah! Good news!" Boris sighs

I cocked my ears forward to catch Muk's voice calling from a distance "Uncle Boorrisss!"

"Oh no!" Boris gasps

"How sweet. . .'Uncle Boris!'" Balto teases, as Muk and Luk come bounding onto the boat.

"No hugging! No licking!" Boris exclaims

"Uncle Boris!" Muk shouts

"Hoy!" Boris gasps, as Luk grabs him and starts licking him Luk mumbles something.

"He says, he's glad to see you! We love you, Uncle Boris!" Muk states

Boris loses some feathers in the struggle to get away from them. He plants them back in and snatches one from Luk's paw. Luk starts to cry.

"What are you talkin' about? Of course he's glad to see us. He loves us. Don't you?" Muk questions

What a strange family, I have as I sat down and watched. Balto and I look at Boris who was putting his flight feathers back.

"Okay, okay. Hey Boy chicks! Let's play a game." Boris sighs

"Yes, please, Uncle Boris!" Muk replies

"Race you to the shore, one two three go!" Boris states, he lets them run off. "They win." Then there are splashing sounds.

"Help! Help! I can't swim! Help! Help! We're drowning! We're drowning! Save us! Please" Muk pleads

Balto, Boris and I race down to investigate. we are amused to discover that Muk and Luk are splashing about in very shallow water.

"Bears! Fellas! Idiot balls of fluff!" Boris called out over the splashing.

"Easy Boris, you know how they are. Muk, Luk! Relax! Hey come on, you're okay. You're not drowning." Balto states

"He has point, bears. You are not drowning because if you were both normal, you will observe perhaps, tide is out!" Boris states then waddled away.

Luk mumbles something.

Boris turned back "He said...what?"

"Oh, the shame of the polar bear who fears the water! No wonder we are shunned by our fellow bear. Woe is us! is what he said. Kinda pathetic, really." Muk answers, playing with a floating ice cube.

"What, more whimpering? Between you and Balto is like Dostoyevsky novel around here. Lighten up!" Boris states.

I rubbed up against the two polar bears, "Come on, you two." I trotted off after Boris.

I was curled up in my normal sleeping place, but Balto wasn't there. I stood up and went out of the cabin. To find him sitting up on a crate staring at the town. We didn't look like siblings our coats were different, he was brown with lighter brown shading on his belly and chest and I was white as new snow and brown on my chest and belly the only things about us that were the same are our eyes, the yellow wolf-ish eyes. Boris was up as well intrigued.

I placed my front paws on the crate and stood up on my back legs.

"And what is so interesting?" Boris asks,

"Jenna." Balto answers

"Its love. So go make move! When the angels' balalaikas' strum the sweet song of love? Mambo!" Boris states, as he starts to dance.

"Nah. . .she's not my type." Balto

"And why not? This wolf business again? And what's wrong with being half and half I like to know!" Boris asks "Sometimes, I wish like crazy I was half eagle!"

"Why?" Balto asks

"Better profile, for one thing. And no one eats you for another!" Boris answers.

"Come on, Balto." I state as I got stood on my front paws again.

"Where are we going?" Balto asks

"I'm playing match-maker." I state as my tail wagged. "If Jenna is one then I'll help you get her."

We saw Jenna at the hospital. I was concerned. Balto went over and tried talking to her. But she didn't really pay attention.

I walked over when that tactic failed. Jenna sniffled. Balto looked at me and I raised my paw and pointed at Jenna.

"Jenna?" Balto asks

"Rosy's in there." Jenna states,

"In a hospital? Why?" Balto asks

"She feels warm. . .she has a terrible cough." Jenna answers, "Balto, what's wrong with her?" she saw me there. I grinned but didn't say anything.

"I'm not sure, but I know how to find out. Come on." Balto states, he leads us to a wooden door "I have the keys to the city." He pulls the pins out of the hinges and opens the door. He waits for Jenna, holding out his paw. "After you."

Jenna notices his big paw "Balto!"

"A heh, big paws kinda run in my family. At least, ahhh... one side of my family." Balto explains then looks at me, I sat down close to the furnace enjoying the warmth.

"Go and tell me about it." I asks, "I'll keep watch."

before long Jenna came back out, as I was dozing off. Warmth was something, I wasn't used too. I stood up and looked at Jenna as Balto came back out.

"Jenna! Jenna, I'm sorry. I. . .Jenna. . .I . . .I didn't mean to upset you. I shouldn't have taken you down there." Balto apologizes

"No, I'm glad you did." Jenna replies, we jump as we heard a crash outside, we turned to see Steele falls down outside the door, planks falling everywhere. He kicks them aside and enters the room. He has a chain of stolen sausages in his mouth "Steele."

my lips curl over my teeth as I wanted to growl.

"Well, well, what's wrong with this picture? Jenna, join me for dinner." Steele states, as he throws the chain around her. He pulls her closer. "You start at one end, I'll start at the other, when we get to the middle, well. . .heh heh. . .you tell me!"

"All right, Steele." Balto states, as he tries to bite at the chain of sausages,

"No, Balto." Jenna disagrees, as she walked over to Steele, she glanced at the broiler. We each look and got the hint and grinned and watched as Jenna begins to flirt with Steele "Gee, Steele, I have to admit your offer is very tempting."

"It is?" Steele asks the chuckles.

Jenna backed Steele up the broiler, "But these days, I prefer my meat. . .cooked."

Steele's rear end begins to smoke. He howl in pain. We took the chance to escape.

"Come on! Let's go!" Balto exclaims, I skidded to the left as Steele crashes through the door and lands on top of Balto and Jenna.

"What's all the noise?" Butcher asks

"I think it's over here!" answers another human

"Lupa, Jenna, come on!" Balto exclaims as we tried to run for it, but Steele threw the chain of sausages at Balto which caused him to crash into me and both of us went to the ground.

We look up at the humans afraid as their lantern shines on us.

"Looks like Balto and Lupa found their way into your meat locker." the human was Rosy's father states,

"It's a good thing Steele was here." Butcher replies, as he gives Steele the sausages. Steele chews them hungrily "Good boy, Steele. You've earned these. Besides, I can't do anything with them after those wild animals' touched them!"

"Go on! Get out of here you thieves!" Rosy's Father exclaims as he kicks snow at us, we ran for it.

As soon as we were out of town, we stopped running and Balto explained that the children were sick. Rosy along with them.


End file.
